Snacks
by spockapella
Summary: Prompt for Bluepulse Bash that somehow turned into angst. Pre-Slash Bluepulse: "They'd expected to be attacked."


A/N: Sometime after Endgame.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, or any of the characters.

* * *

They'd expected to be attacked.

Beta squad was the bait. While Alfa-squad infiltrated the deeper levels of the Light's fortress, Beta was to distract the menial Light henchmen that usually patrolled the Headquarters. They'd carefully scheduled the invasion for when the base was least occupied, so Alfa could hack into the Light's mainframe and delete all copies of the League's stolen files and have Beta face as little combat as possible.

What they hadn't expected was Deathstroke.

There was an earsplitting crack from behind Jaime. It rang out so loud it was as if the entire Light Headquarters was ripping in half. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and goose bumps rise all over his body. It was close. _Too _close

And then he heard Bart scream.

Jaime turned so fast he got whiplash. Bart was down, his left leg bent out of shape, a gaping red hole where his kneecap used to be. He bled out fast and scarlet, staining the marble floor in a rapidly growing pool. Deathstroke loomed over the speedster, blowing the excess smoke off the barrel of his gun. Enemies came pouring into the hall. Solomon Grundy, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and countless others swarmed the hall.

In the back of Jaime's head he understood. He knew Robin hacking through the firewall had set off some sort of alarm, and that they were outmatched. Even with Miss Martian, Conner and Wonder Girl as powerhouses, there was no way they could take on a mass of villains of this size. They needed to call in back up, they needed to warn Alfa, they needed to escape.

But all Jaime could focus on was Bart.

Jaime heard himself screaming, felt it tearing at his vocal cords, his chest tightening in sheer, gripping panic. He lurched forward clumsily as he flew, hands extended for Bart.

**Jaime Reyes, behind us!**

The scarab's warning came too late. Tommy Terror leapt in the air and caught Jaime's ankle with his massive fist pulling him down in an arc, slamming Jaime onto the stone floor.

Tuppence cackled. "Good one, Tommy!"

Jaime gasped for air, all the wind knocked out of him.

**Activating staple gun. **

He twisted his body and aimed for Tommy's chest, the gun swelling to meet the breadth of the meta-human's superhuman frame. With one staple, Tommy was sent flying back, pinned against the Headquarters' wall so hard it knocked him unconscious. Tuppence stared at Jaime's handiwork in shock. Then she grit her teeth as her eyes blazed into Jaime.

"You'll pay for that, bug!" Tuppence shrilled, pouncing toward him.

Jaime leapt into the air to avoid her, sending staples, but she smashed them aside with her thick wrists, not even batting an eye as she surged onward. He took half a second to glance back at Bart. M'gann had leapt between Deathstroke and the speedster, her eyes glowing fierce green as she repelled him backward psychically.

Bart wasn't moving.

**Jaime Reyes, focus on the task at hand. We cannot help Bart Allen if we do not first help ourselves.**

Jaime glared fiercely at Tuppence.

**Activating medium-frequency plasma guns.**

He targeted her, but right before he could send the blast, there was a flash of gold. Wonder Girl's lasso wrapped around Tuppence's body and Cassie yanked, sending the twin flying toward her.

"Blue!" Cassie cried. "We've got to get out of here!"

Jaime nodded. "Kid-"

"Miss Martian has him, just get in the ship!" she yelled. "I'll warn Alfa!"

"But-"

"Blue, we can't take on all these people with just two squads!" Cassie snapped. "We have to leave! Hurry! Kid needs you!"

Jaime didn't waste anymore time and took off.

...

He flew into the spacecraft. Cassie carried Tim inside and Beast Boy used his falcon form to join them. Jaime looked around desperately for Bart, only to find him sprawled out on a gurney. M'gann and Conner stood on either side of him, exchanging worried glances. His leg was still bent out of shape, but was sitting up and shaking so hard he was almost vibrating through his medical bed.

"Bart!" Jaime rushed to his side, getting on his knees and peeling back his armor.

"Jaime?" Bart said, his golden eyes wild with panic underneath the Kid Flash goggles. "Jaime he got my leg! I can't walk! I can't run! What will I do if I can't run? What will Barry say? What if I can't be his sidekick anymore? Wally, Jaime! Wally entrusted me with the Kid Flash legacy and now it's gone. All gone-"  
"Bart, Bart," Jaime hushed, stroking his damp cheeks. "It's going to be alright, I promise."

"No," Bart sobbed. "It's all gone."

**Bart Allen is in shock. We must seek medical attention immediately.**

He turned to M'gann desperately. "Can't you help him?"

Her mouth was in a tight frown. She tilted her head toward Jaime and spoke in his mind.

_With Bart's speed healing we have to bandage him quickly otherwise it will heal crooked. I'd give him something, but I don't think any anesthetic will be able to handle his metabolism, and at the accelerated rate he's thinking- or rather, panicking- I can't put any kind of psychic block on him to stop the pain._

Jaime frowned. _What are you saying?_

_I need you to distract him while Conner and I set and wrap his leg. It'll be a temporary, just until we can zeta to the Watchtower and get him a real cast. Maybe a new kneecap too. I'm not sure how far Bart's healing abilities extend. _

Jaime gulped. _How do I distract him?_

_You're his best friend, aren't you? Think of something. _

Jaime nodded, but his lips were pursed. He took Bart's hands in his own, but the speedster didn't seem to notice. Bart was hyperventilating, his pupils tiny and shaking all over.

"Bart." Jaime's voice was hoarse. "Bart, hermano, look at me."

Bart turned his head sharply at him. There was sweat breaking out along his forehead and his lips were pale. With one hand Jaime gently pushed back Bart's Kid Flash hood, letting his floppy auburn hair fall in his face.

"They're going to wrap your leg, okay?" Jaime said softly. "We're going to fix it."

Bart shook his head rapidly. "Jaime, what if they can't? What if my knee is too damaged? What if they have to cut it off? What if-"

"Hey, hey," Jaime said, stroking his thumb along Bart's cheekbone trying to smooth away the trembling. "We're _not_ going to cut off your leg."

Bart didn't look convinced. "But Jaime..."

"You know what, let's not talk about that," Jaime amended quickly. "Let's talk about something else. Something fun, something you like."

Bart's trembling subsided a little. "Like what?"

"Um," Jaime struggled, going through his mental list of things Bart loved. "I dunno... Uhh... Snacks. You like snacks."

Bart snorted. "Snacks?"

The almost-laugh gave Jaime a glimmer of hope. "Yeah, you're always eating my food. You love snacks."

Bart still looked confused. "Well... Yeah I do..."

"Remember that's kinda how we met," Jaime said, feeling himself blush at the memory.

Bart's face softened. "I remember."

Jaime finally had his full attention. Conner and M'gann pulled out the medical supplies stored on her ship slowly, as if afraid any sudden movement would startle him.

"You stole my Chicken Whizzes," Jaime said in an accusatory tone, but he didn't really mean it. "And then somehow you ended up convincing me to buy you _three more bags_ at the store."

Bart's lips twitched up into a smile. "I _am _pretty persuasive."

"Nah. You've just always had me wrapped around your little finger," Jaime confessed, his voice growing softer.

M'gann laid a gentle hand on Bart's leg and the speedster flinched. Jaime cupped Bart's face and kept their gazes fixated on each other.

"Remember how I mentioned that game where you got to play as the Justice League?" Jaime pressed.

Bart nodded. "And we went to your house and you showed me how to play."

Conner and M'gann shifted Bart's leg carefully, slowly, and a shudder of pain ran up his spine. Jaime pulled Bart closer to him.

"And you met my family."

Bart nodded again, taking in deep breaths through his nose and out through his mouth. M'gann levitated his leg slightly, in preparation to turn it into place.

"They love you," Jaime said. "Even Milagro adores you."

Bart licked his lips. "Your mom said I was too skinny."

Jaime smiled. "I remember."

There was a pop, and a rip of painful crackles as M'gann twisted Bart's leg quickly into place. Bart cried out, squeezing his eyes shut. Jaime fumbled as he pulled Bart even closer, entwining their hands so tightly Jaime could barely feel his fingers. He pressed their foreheads together.

"I've got you, I've got you," Jaime promised. "You're going to be okay."

"I know." Bart sucked in deep lungful of air. "I know."

Jaime kissed the back of Bart's hand. He was trembling.

Conner set the brace around Bart's knee, gently, wrapping a bandage over it for good measure.

Jaime felt M'gann brush his mind. _It's done. _

He looked up at Bart and smiled. "We're done, see? You're okay. We're okay."

"We're okay," Bart repeated. He still shuddered, and Jaime pulled him into an embrace.

_Bart needs to lie down and get rest. We should leave._

Jaime's heart twisted painfully, and Conner and M'gann exited. He pulled back from the hug. "Lie down, you need rest."

He helped Bart recline slowly and then stood up, giving his friend a firm smile before he turned to depart. Bart's hand shot out.

"Don't leave."

"Bart you need to-"  
"I won't talk, I promise, I just-" Bart fumbled. "I just need you here."

Jaime looked at Bart's hand, small and pale, grasping his desperately. He nodded. "I won't leave your side."

Bart exhaled contentedly and closed his eyes for a few moments. Right as Jaime thought he had drifted off, Bart's eyes peeped open once again.

"But if you _do_ leave-"

Jaime interjected. "That won't happen."

"-Make sure you bring back snacks."

Bart was giving him a tiny smile and Jaime grinned back, knowing everything was going to be okay.


End file.
